Old Dominion University
80%
Acceptance rate
3%
Intl. students
$31,700
Tuition/yr
24,000
Enrollment
16.3:1
Student:Faculty
About Old Dominion University
Public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. Strong engineering, business, and education programs.
Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public doctoral research university located in Norfolk, Virginia, classified as R1 (Very High Research Activity) by the Carnegie Classification. The university enrolls approximately 24,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, and generates around $88 million in annual research funding from agencies including NSF, NIH, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.
ODU has particular strength in programs tied to its coastal location and proximity to the largest naval installation in the world. Its Batten College of Engineering and Technology is one of five programs in Virginia offering engineering degrees at the doctoral level. The Ellmer School of Nursing is ranked among the top nursing programs in Virginia, climbing 31 spots nationally in the 2026 U.S. News rankings. The university is also recognized internationally for port and maritime logistics research, ranking second in the Western Hemisphere for port research output.
The main campus occupies 251 acres in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia, a mid-size coastal city with significant defense, maritime, and healthcare industries. Norfolk sits within the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, giving students access to a large regional job market. ODU was named a U.S. News Best College for the eighth consecutive year in 2026.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
VA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- ODU offers the ISS Merit Scholarship specifically for international undergraduates, worth up to $16,000 per year and renewable for four years, provided the student maintains a 3.25 GPA, which directly reduces the out-of-pocket cost of the approximately $31,700 annual international tuition.
- Engineering, nursing, computer science, and maritime logistics are ODU's standout fields; Nepali students targeting U.S. STEM careers benefit from OPT (up to 12 months) and STEM OPT extension (up to 24 additional months) after graduation, giving three years of U.S. work authorization in STEM-designated programs.
- ODU's 96% acceptance rate and relatively affordable tuition compared to private U.S. universities make it accessible as a serious research university without elite-school price tags, which suits the cost-sensitive profile of many Nepali families.
- The university's location in Norfolk, home to major defense contractors and healthcare systems, provides co-op and internship pipelines in engineering and nursing that are directly relevant to career outcomes for international graduates.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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